When operating any type of electronic device having a display screen (which may be referred to for convenience as a “display device”), it is desirable to reduce the amount of power that is consumed. For desktop computers, for example, conserving power reduces operating costs, while for laptop computers and other portable electronic devices, conserving power may extend battery life.
As laptop display screens, for example, continue to increase in size, such as 17 inch (43 cm) and larger screens, the impact on the battery life becomes more significant. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens may include a backlight panel that is on when the display screen is on. One technique for conserving power is to reduce the brightness of the display screen or backlight panel. This power conservation method has the disadvantage that the dimmer display may degrade the visual experience of viewing the information for the user.
Since display screens may consume a significant portion of the power consumed by electronic display devices, other methods for reducing the amount of power consumed by display screens are desirable.